Effects of Yoga vs Manual Stretching on Low Back Muscle Tightness
Comparison of Yoga and Manual Stretching as Treatment for Tight low- back Muscles of selected students of UERMMMCI-CAReS
Introduction
In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the study of treatments for tight back muscles. Tight back muscles have always caused people uneasiness, irritability and limited motion. Pain is also felt when a person has tight back muscles and results to affecting an individual’s activities of daily living. The back muscles keep the body erect for posture and also help in the movement of the arms and shoulders. Tight muscles are caused by overworking due to strenuous activities, faulty posture and poor stretching techniques before and/or after exercise activities therefore result in micro tears to the back muscles (Hetzler, 2011). The muscles in the back then become rigid and stiff as protection. When the back muscles are not stretched, they become shorter and therefore become more injury prone (Hetzler, 2011).
Stretching has been a well known procedure to avoid the probabilities of having back issues. Stretching is a therapeutic maneuver which increases the extensibility of the soft tissues which improves the flexibility by lengthening the shortened structures that have become hypomobile (Kisner and Colby, 2007). This avoids the muscles in the back to shorten which causes the stiffness and pain. It can increase the range of motion, avoid contractures and to prevent limited motion. It may also be used with different fitness programs to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury and utilized before and after performing heavy exercises or physical activities (Kisner and Colby, 2007). A considerable amount of research has already been done to prove the effectiveness of stretching to treat tight muscles, but very little attention is given to some of its alternative treatments. Hence, this study is formulated.
Recently, there have been many studies supporting another way to reduce the tightness in the back
Introduction
In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the study of treatments for tight back muscles. Tight back muscles have always caused people uneasiness, irritability and limited motion. Pain is also felt when a person has tight back muscles and results to affecting an individual’s activities of daily living. The back muscles keep the body erect for posture and also help in the movement of the arms and shoulders. Tight muscles are caused by overworking due to strenuous activities, faulty posture and poor stretching techniques before and/or after exercise activities therefore result in micro tears to the back muscles (Hetzler, 2011). The muscles in the back then become rigid and stiff as protection. When the back muscles are not stretched, they become shorter and therefore become more injury prone (Hetzler, 2011).
Stretching has been a well known procedure to avoid the probabilities of having back issues. Stretching is a therapeutic maneuver which increases the extensibility of the soft tissues which improves the flexibility by lengthening the shortened structures that have become hypomobile (Kisner and Colby, 2007). This avoids the muscles in the back to shorten which causes the stiffness and pain. It can increase the range of motion, avoid contractures and to prevent limited motion. It may also be used with different fitness programs to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury and utilized before and after performing heavy exercises or physical activities (Kisner and Colby, 2007). A considerable amount of research has already been done to prove the effectiveness of stretching to treat tight muscles, but very little attention is given to some of its alternative treatments. Hence, this study is formulated.
Recently, there have been many studies supporting another way to reduce the tightness in the back